City of Angels
by Kissing Lips
Summary: And Brittany, she just keeps staring at her, waiting on Santana to take the first step, make the first move. But she doesn't. Santana remembers Sam, his shaggy blonde hair. The stupid look on his face when Brittany told him that she wasn't coming with him. The anger she felt when he seemed so annoyed.


**I.**

The buzz that lingers in the air is electric. Brittany feels it coursing through her body, under her skin, reverberating through every fiber of her being. The stadium is massive, masses of people are trickling through every hall of the building. The voices, the murmurs, the electricity, everything makes Brittany gasp in excitement, until she thinks that she'll explode with the anticipation and all the impressions.

All this simultaneous stimulus is making her giddy.

It is almost ridiculous how fast she is pulling Sam through the stadium, ignoring all his protests of her to slow down. And if she's being honest she can't hear him over the rush of her heartbeat pounding loudly in her ears. And to be honest once again, if she wasn't so concerned about losing him in the crowd she would have already let go of his hand right now.

She feels like she's swimming in a sea of gold and purple. The Lakers colors are everywhere around her and she knows that she's not the only one anticipating the game with excitement. Many of the guests have their faces painted in the team's colors and most of the attendees are wearing Lakers jerseys, proudly showing which team they root for.

Two weeks ago Brittany entered competition and just like any other competition she didn't expect to win. After all the chances of winning are little to non-existent in those kinds of things.

To say that she was surprised when she got the call, is an understatement. But now thatshe is gliding through the sea of people, she is even more thankful. The two tickets for the Lakers game are a really awesome price.

The hand tugging roughly at hers is anchoring her back into reality. When Sam yanks particularly hard, she is being pulled back and Brittany is met with Sam's annoyed expression. Clearly he is not as excited as she is. Or maybe he just feels annoyed by Brittany's overly excited mood. The feeling of being forced to take Sam with her increases when he tells her to calm down.

He wasn't the first choice when she received the tickets in her mail a few days after she got the message of winning the competition. She wanted to take Mike with her or maybe Tina. Anyone who wouldn't make her feel as caged as Sam does. And this feeling only increases when Sam starts pulling her in the opposite direction of the merchandize store. She just really wanted a jersey or maybe a foam finger.

Maybe both. But she doesn't really know. All she does know though, is that she regrets taking Sam with her, that it was a bad decision to invite him with her just because she felt obligated to take her boyfriend.

But when she finally takes a seat within all those people, view on the basketball court, the feeling of bad decisions vanishes and the excitement returns full force.

**II.**

The game hasn't started yet but the crowd is still excited and loud. Brittany lets the noises and the buzz course through her body. She tries to take in as much as possible of this experience. After all, tomorrow night she will be sitting on a plane back to New York, back to reality, living her average life amongst thousands of strangers.

Sam is too occupied with munching way too loudly on his food, trying to shove as much into his mouth as possible. He doesn't seem to be paying attention to anything else than his food, so Brittany takes it upon herself to occupy herself while waiting on the game to start. She looks through the crowd, to the children among them, the hardcore fans that are dressed and painted from top to bottom in golden and purple, couples being overly cute towards each other and she wonders when her and Sam stopped being that kind of couple.

The affectionate kind. Trying to sneak in kisses as many times as possible, sex in the restrooms, teasing each other. Now whenever he's done, he rolls over and falls asleep and she is left unsatisfied in every way possible. Most of the time he doesn't get her. He doesn't listen and when he doesn't get what she's saying he shrugs it off, blaming it on her stupidity. She isn't stupid, she knows that but Sam does make her feel that way sometimes.

She doesn't know exactly when it started, how it happened that she suddenly felt unhappy, uncomfortable around him. All she knows is that he started changing after they got over the honeymoon faze. It makes Brittany sad and incredibly mad, but somehow she still clings to the tiny, little thread of hope. Hope that someday he will stop thinking as lowly of her as he does now. That he will turn into the guy she fell in love with again.

Only when he mumbles something about getting more food does she snap out of her thoughts. She wants to answer but he is already gone and Brittany sighs loudly. She refocuses on the crowd around her and notices that the group next to her is arguing about something. Funny how she hasn't noticed them sitting there up until now.

The girl next to her is facing someone next to her, but Brittany can't look at because it would be too obvious and kind of creepy. She can see the caramel skin of her arms that are exposed from the Lakers jersey she is wearing. Dark locks are peeking out of a Lakers snapback that she is wearing backwards. Her arms fly around while she keeps on arguing about something Brittany really can't make out in the noise of the stadium. But she knows that she is really curious about the girl's face.

The wondering is interrupted when said girl suddenly turns around and looks at Brittany.

"Excuse me?" Brittany thinks she is going to faint. She is sure that the girl noticed her staring and now she is going to start shouting at Brittany. She tries acting nonchalantly, maybe if she ignores her seat neighbor she might get out of it. She is acting dumb and she knows it, so Brittany moves her eyes up to the stranger's face and is met with chocolate eyes.

Brittany doesn't think that perfection exists. She likes people with bumps and imperfections because that's what makes them so endearing. She loves it when she finds bits and pieces of people that they usually don't like about themselves, it's like Brittany finds a treasure.

But when Brittany looks at the soft features, the smoky eyes and the eyeliner swung into perfection, the lips pouty and perfectly kissable, only then does she think that she has found perfection itself.

The girl in front of her is breathtakingly beautiful. And Brittany is proof of how easily someone can stop breathing upon witnessing that.

"Yeah?" Brittany opts for the easy answer because she believes anything else coming out of her mouth might sound dumb and ridiculous.

"What's your name?" The girl asks again and when Brittany answers her, she doesn't wait for her to say anything else. "So Brittany, you see my friend and I are in the middle of an argument and because we're not finding a solution, we need your help."

A face pops up next to her and Brittany is finally able to see who has been sitting next to the girl. The only thing she registers is the ridiculous Mohawk on the guy's head and it takes all of Brittany's strength not to start laughing out loud. The black hair has streaks of blonde and purple in it and Brittany is sure that the guy is one of those hardcore fans. He rolls his eyes at his friend and only when Brittany nods, does the girl continue.

"We're arguing about whether or not Puck should shave his Mohawk. He is against it. But I think that it makes him look ridiculous. Plus he's is twenty-four, too old for that dead squirrel on his head that he calls hair." Brittany tries to stifle her laugh behind her hand while Puck is trying to argue but the girl is holding her hand up, never taking her eyes off Brittany and simultaneously preventing Puck from talking. "So Brittany, what do you think?"

Brittany moves her eyes between the girl- whose name she still doesn't know - and Puck, who is now really engrossed in checking her out. Brittany shuffles a bit on her seat, uncomfortable under Puck's gaze that she is sure is nothing other than curiosity. The crease in his eyebrows though tells Brittany that he is dreading her answer more than he'd like to let on. So she laughs a bit, leaning back in her seat, watching him fiddle with his hands while he waits for her answer.

But when Brittany looks at the girl next to her, she sees the playful smirk and the raised eyebrow and she knows that Puck is being teased. Although Brittany believes that he should get rid of it as fast as possible. But other than that she just really wants to agree to anything that comes out of the stranger's mouth.

"Sorry, Puck, but she's right. You should get rid of it." The girl's laughter rings pleasantly in Brittany's ears. Her voice sends shivers down her spine and when she throws her head back, Brittany think she might start losing it.

"I told you." The girl claps in triumph and seconds later she throws her arm around Brittany pulling her closer into a half hug. Brittany can smell her perfume, light and fresh and when she feels the girl's hand touch her exposed skin, the hair on her neck stands on end. The heat radiating off her seat neighbor is making Brittany's pulse speed up and she tries to hold any embarrassing reaction back. "Puck, you lost your bet. I'm shaving your hair tonight."

It's over too soon when the girl pulls her arm back and Brittany is left behind, slightly pouting at the loss of contact.

"So it was a bet then?" Brittany asks because she doesn't want the girl to turn around again.

"Yeah." She smiles in response, white teeth showing into a huge grin and Brittany's heart flutters in her chest. "And you, Brittany, earned yourself a drink tonight." Brittany's mouth forms into a grin, twice the size of the beautiful girl next to her and wiggles excitedly in her seat.

"I'd like that." Brittany nods, locking her eyes with the stranger. She just stares for a while, unable to look away. A light blush tints her cheeks, partly because of the heat but mostly because of the girl next to her who just causes her to act that way.

She can feel the same buzz that is coursing through her body, from all the excitement radiating off the girl's body and Brittany's excitement grows. She just wishes that she knew the girl sooner so that maybe they could have come here together. Sam could have stayed back in New York and Brittany wouldn't have to feel like an idiot for being so excited about her first basketball game.

The thought of Sam causes her to frown and she looks at the empty seat beside her, dreading the moment Sam will come back, arms loaded with a ridiculous amount of food. The voice of the girl pulls Brittany out of her Sam filled thoughts.

"So Brittany, why are you here alone?" She asks and Brittany relaxes back into her seat, trying to make the most out of her alone time left.

"Oh no, I'm not." She glances back to the empty seat beside her before answering. She contemplates between telling her or keeping the fact that she has a boyfriend to herself. Figuring that it isn't good to start off with lies and that she will find out sooner or later about Sam, she decides to tell the truth. "I won two tickets for the game today and I brought my boyfriend."

Brittany tries to read the girl's face. She doesn't know what exactly she's hoping for but she wants her to be as bothered by it as she is herself. A small smile appears on Brittany's face when she sees the frown that vanishes as quickly as it appeared. The girl nods once before giving Brittany a once over. It's slow, how she racks her eyes up Brittany's body. From her skinny jeans to the loose tank top that covers less than it should. Panic arises within her.

Did she wear the right bra? She really hopes that it's not one of her old ones that she wears when everything else is in the laundry. Questions fill her head that vanish when her eyes are once again locked with the girl's.

"What team are you rooting for?" Brittany chokes on her saliva when she hears the question. Is it really that obvious that she is highly attracted to her new friend? She hopes not because if Sam comes back, she will be in huge trouble. "You're a Lakers fan, right?" She asks when she doesn't receive an answer and Brittany blushes immediately embarrassed because that's not what she was thinking of when she first heard the question.

She has never really been a sports fanatic. Sure she watches a few games on TV and when it's Super Bowl season she meets up with her friends and they watch it together because it's fun to be around her friends, even though she is not really interested in football. That's about it though. But if someone asked her now she would say that she is a sports fan. How could she not with such beautiful company? So she nods and Santana smiles at that, taking off her snapback. Long, dark locks reveal and Brittany has to gather all of her strength to not run her hands through her beautiful hair.

"Good. But where's the fun if you're not showing it, right?" The girl smiles and reaches over to place her snapback on Brittany's head. She adjusts a few strands of blonde hair and when she's satisfied, she leans back and watches Brittany with the same smile, she has been wearing for the past few minutes they have been interacting.

Brittany looks at her again and just when she's about to thank her friend, Sam appears with what appears to be the entire food supply in this stadium. Brittany frowns when the girl's smile disappears and turns back to Puck to continue with their previous argument.

"What did I miss?" He asks and when Brittany doesn't answer him, he shrugs and takes a bite of his hot dog, not noticing that Brittany has now a new clothing item. It's not important but his ignorance is making Brittany mad and she thinks that if he continues being like this, things between them won't end well.

**III.**

There are three things that Brittany is aware of when the game is over.

One: The Lakers have won. The fans are roaring in triumph, their loud screams floating around the stadium are electrifying the atmosphere.

Two: Brittany has learned that the girl's name is Santana.

And three: After the Lakers win Santana's arms sneak their way around her neck and she's squeezing hard.

She thinks she can't breathe anymore but when she loops her arms around Santana's waist, she finds out that she doesn't really care if she's breathing or not. She may as well suffocate right now. It wouldn't matter because Santana smells fantastic and the warmth enveloping her is incredible.

She has found out that when Santana is watching a game she can't stand still. She screams out her frustration when her teams is making a mistake and when the other team has the ball she is the first and the loudest one to scream 'defense' like her life depends on it. But when the Lakers have made a new point she stands up and claps louder than anyone else in the stadium.

It is incredibly endearing and although Brittany should have watched the game because it is still a new experience and the excitement has yet to wear off, she has found out that watching Santana while she's following the game is way better than all the NBA events combined. It is like Christmas, birthdays and Easter all together and Brittany doesn't think that she has ever felt so lucky before.

The other thing she has found out is that Santana is as aware of Brittany as Brittany is of her new friend. It didn't seem like it before but every time she was confused about something, Santana would lean over and explain to her what happened. Her breath would ghost over Brittany's skin and Brittany would take a sharp intake of breath.

Sam on the other hand acted as if she wasn't there. He watched the game with interest but wasn't as ecstatic as Santana was and it was making Brittany sad how much it was actually bothering her.

"So how about that drink?" Santana asks when she pulls back to look at Brittany. Her smile is big and Brittany wonders if it because the Lakers won or maybe because of her. And her voice is now all hoarse from all the screaming. Brittany finds it cute and incredibly endearing. "You can bring your boyfriend." There is the little frown again and Brittany smirks lightly, pretending that she totally can't see what Santana is doing.

Brittany stares back at Sam who is noticing her for the first time after his food orgy. He watches the interaction partly curious, partly confused because he isn't sure when exactly Brittany started making new friends.

"You want to join Santana and Puck for drinks?" She asks him more because she has to and not because she wants to. Sam seems surprised by the question. He tries telling Brittany that he really doesn't want to and that they already have plans that Brittany had obviously forgotten.

"We wanted to meet Artie?" He reminds her and he sounds more annoyed than ever. Artie is one of Sam's high school friends that moved to Los Angeles after graduating. They have kept contact ever since that and they see each other at least once a year.

Of course she forgot. How could she remember something that she is so uninterested in? Besides Brittany doesn't like that Artie very much because whenever Sam is with him he totally forgets about her. They play video games without a pause, day and night and whenever Artie is with them Sam turns into an ordering asshole. Too engrossed in his video games, he orders Brittany around as though she is a maid.

And for the first time she is incredibly mad at him. Because of course everything has to go after Sam. Like any other time. Brittany has to be around him, his arm candy, someone to show off and order around rather than treat like a girlfriend. For the first time Brittany wants to be selfish. She doesn't want to be around Sam when he turns into a demanding asshole.

She wants him to understand that she is not his property. That she is a human being with feelings and thoughts. She wants him to treat her well. After getting used to having her around, he just seems to forget about her.

And Brittany decides right then and there that she is going to be selfish today. She is going to spend the night with Santana and her friends and she is going to fucking enjoy it. Because she is not Sam's toy and starting today she will never let anyone treat her that way again.

"No." She says and Sam seems taken aback by her answer. His eyes widen and his mouth drops to the floor. Her heart beats wildly in her chest. This is the first time she has opposed him and it feels so good, she wonders why she hasn't done it sooner. "You can go meet Artie. I'm going out with Santana. Have fun in your virtual world or whatever." Brittany's finality causes Sam to shut up. He doesn't say anything when Brittany walks past him angrily, followed closely by an astounded Santana and a confused Puck.

"What was that?" Santana jogs up to Brittany, trying to fight through the crowd making its way to the exit. It's loud and Brittany almost misses Santana's question. The hoarseness in her voice still not gone.

"I didn't want to go with Sam." That's all Brittany says and Santana doesn't question it any further.

"Good. But you're walking the wrong way." Santana smiles at Brittany softly. And just like that Brittany's anger vanishes. Santana takes Brittany's hand and pulls her the opposite reaction. Brittany's heart does somersaults in her chest but all she does is slip her fingers through Santana's and tightens her grip on them.

Puck leads them out of the stadium and soon Brittany finds herself in Santana's Cabrio, in the middle seat where she is peaking in between her and Puck's seats. She misses the warmth of Santana's body from before. When they were seated in the stadium next to each other, their shoulders were brushing and every time Santana moved to shout angrily at the teams, it sent jolts through Brittany's skin. And every time she saw Santana's hand resting on her lap, tapping impatiently against her leg, she just wanted to reach over, hold Santana's hand and calm her.

It was hard trying to deal with the effect Santana had on her while she was still with Sam. If Sam wasn't in the picture, Brittany would have acted on that. It has never been a problem for her. But no matter how unhappy she is with Sam, Brittany is no cheater and she wouldn't start now. Even though Santana made it incredibly hard for her to hold her feelings back.

But when Santana turns around to smile at her, the big toothy grin that Brittany has already come to love, she knows that this is going to be a battle that she is not going to win.

**IV.**

They land in a bar called 'Sessions'. It's one of Santana's friends' bar. Her name is Dani and the way she is throwing glances at Santana, makes Brittany think that she is obviously into her. She can't explain the feeling of possessiveness that overcomes her but she desperately tries to ignore it. 'I have a boyfriend' is the mantra that she tries to repeat in her head as often as she can but it's hard when Santana has her arm on the lean of the booth behind her.

Quinn, Puck's girlfriend has joined them and there's Kurt with his boyfriend Elliot who are cuddling in the booth next to her and Santana. They are incredibly nice and Brittany feels more welcomed than she has ever felt in her life before.

There are guitars hanging on the dark walls and a small stage- for live performances and karaoke- as well as modern leather seats give the bar a cozy feeling. And once they sit down Dani comes over and places a bottle of Tequila in the middle of the table, along with shot glasses for every one of them. She glances at Brittany when she empties her tray and Brittany can clearly feel the curiosity and slight jealousy radiating off of her when she sees how close Santana is sitting to her.

"Wait, before we start, we still need to do something!" Santana shoots up from her seat and Brittany immediately misses her warmth. "Kurt, the shaver." The round laughs loudly, minus Puck who looks terrified and Brittany knows what's about to come.

When Kurt retrieves the shaver from his bag, he hands it to Santana and she orders Puck to scooch back so that she has full access to his head. The mischievous smile on Santana's face makes Brittany melt in her seat and she rests her head on her palm, not wanting to miss anything coming from her.

"Fabray, you owe me fifty bucks." Santana winks at Quinn and she laughs in response, retrieving her wallet.

"What? You two had a bet?" Puck shouts. "My own girlfriend betrayed me. You're such a traitor, Quinn." He shoots up from his seat pointing at his girlfriend but everyone can see that none of his accusations are serious.

"Sorry, honey. You know how much I hate that strip of hair on your head." She leans over to kiss Puck's cheek softly and his frown disappears as he moves back to his seat, gesturing for Santana to finally get this over with.

She rubs her palms against each other and downs a shot, scrunching her face up in the cutest way Brittany has ever seen, before turning the shaver on to see if it works. And when Brittany thinks she is going to start, she turns to her instead and looks down at her blue eyes.

"Ms. Pierce." She starts. "Thanks to you I won this bet, so would you give me the honor to do the first swipe?" Santana's arm is extended towards Brittany, waiting to be taken. Brittany watches a few seconds, eyes trained onto Santana's caramel skin. She trails her eyes from her fingers, up to Santana's shoulder, till she meets dark eyes watching her.

"I've never done this before." Brittany looks unsure but despite everything she just really wants to take Santana's hand.

"I'll show you." Brittany hears Puck's protests but she doesn't register anything. All she sees is Santana's reassuring smile, the certainty and the trust that washes over Brittany like rain over the desert. So Brittany takes her hand because she trusts Santana more than anything and she feels the reassuring squeeze on her hand in response.

This is it, she thinks when Santana hands her the shaver. It feels weird holding it in her hand. And while she's holding it, she feels the anxiety come back. What if something happens? What if she cuts Puck? She really has no idea what she's doing. But before she gets the chance to panic, she feels Santana clasp her hand over hers.

Her body molds perfectly behind Brittany and it almost feels like they are one person. Everything Santana is, everything Santana will ever be Brittany feels in the heart beating as rapidly as her own against her back. Santana grazes her palm against back of Brittany's other hand. Goosebumps spread like a wildfire over her body and she tries to keep her breath under control as Santana slips her fingers in between Brittany's and moves their hands up to grip Puck's head, so that he won't move.

"Ready?" She whispers and her breath ghosts over Brittany's skin. She can smell the Tequila from the shot Santana had minutes ago and she desperately wants to keep touching her. Unable to say anything she nods and Santana tells her to turn the shaver on.

Besides the music playing in the bar, the buzzing of the shaver is the only thing filling the silence that has overcome the group, watching engrossed in Brittany and Santana's interactions. Brittany on the other hand hears the buzzing from all the blood rushing in her ears, she hears Santana's breath that keeps on ghosting over her skin, her heartbeat pounding against her back. And then Santana starts moving their hands.

Puck's hair starts slowly falling to the ground as they swipe the shaver over his head, inch by inch getting rid of the ridiculous Mohawk. She thinks she sees Kurt filming everything from the corner but she isn't too sure and she doesn't dwell on it further, too afraid to cause an accident with the shaver. Santana's grip on her is firm and she guides Brittany's hand with precision and familiarity as though she has done it more than once.

When the last of the Mohawk has joined the hair on the floor, Santana turns off the shaver and moves back, pulling Brittany with her to see the result. Puck has his arms crossed over his chest, huffing in annoyance that reminds Brittany of a little child. Loud cheers erupt amongst the group but Brittany is too occupied with Santana pressing a small kiss to the skin under her ear that no one seems to notice before separating from what's become her second skin. Brittany tries to hide the blush and averts her eyes to look at Puck who now has Quinn sitting on his lap, running her hands over his freshly shaved scalp.

Brittany smiles softly at them, thoughts returning back to Sam. And although she is happier than ever about her decision, she can't help but feel the pang of jealousy because this is something she has never had in any of her relationships. And as she scoots back into the booth next to Santana and Kurt and Elliot, she presses herself as close to Santana as possible and for the first time in her life she doesn't give one fuck about her relationship with Sam.

**V.**

Somehow along the night and lots of shots of Tequila later, Brittany finds Santana sitting sideways in her lap, legs extended over the limited space in the booth while playing with the others drinking games. They're in the middle of 'never have I ever' with Brittany having her arms wrapped tightly around Santana's waist and Santana's right arm wrapped around Brittany's neck when Elliot says: Never have I ever kissed a girl. It's stupid really because everyone's supposed to say things that they haven't done but at this point they just wants to drink and have fun.

Everyone lifts their glasses and even Kurt does. Brittany feels how Santana's grip tightens around her neck and their eyes lock when Brittany is about to down her shot. She can already feel the buzzing of the alcohol coursing through her system but she knows that she doesn't imagine the small wink that Santana shoots her.

She runs her fingers over Santana's legs in response, to the hem of her tiny shorts and plays with the fabric of them. She can see the trail of Goosebumps she leaves behind and she knows that Santana is as attracted to her as much as Brittany is.

But reality looks different. Tomorrow she will fly back to New York, there is Sam who is still her boyfriend, there are so many things that she has to take into consideration and the one thing that hurts her the most, causes her heart to clench painfully in her chest, her stomach to sink like a heavy rock underwater, is the fact that she might never see Santana again. That thought alone makes her want to scream out loud in frustration.

"Hey." Santana interrupts her train of thoughts. Her free hand reaches up to swipe some loose strands of hair that stick to Brittany's forehead. She remembers that she is still wearing Santana's snapback and she goes to reach for it, to take it off but Santana's stops her. "Don't. Keep it." She takes Brittany's hand and wraps it around her waist where the other one is already resting. "It looks cute on you." She adds and reaches up again. Santana's thumb swipes over Brittany's bottom lip and the urge to kiss those lips is stronger than anything she has ever felt before.

And Brittany, she just keeps staring at her, waiting on Santana to take the first step, make the first move. But she doesn't. Santana remembers Sam, his shaggy blonde hair. The stupid look on his face when Brittany told him that she wasn't coming with him. The anger she felt when he seemed so annoyed.

Every fiber in her body tells her that Sam is an idiot. But she remembers that this idiot is the one who is with Brittany, gets to see her smile every day and although she wants nothing more than to kiss Brittany, maybe take her on a date, anything, for the first time in her life she doesn't want to step over that line. She doesn't want to do anything that will ruin anything for Brittany.

"Santana." Brittany whispers but Santana lowers her gaze to her lap. This is not something she wants to talk about. She doesn't want to hear Brittany rejecting her. She doesn't want to hear any of those things regarding Sam and Brittany's feelings for him. She just doesn't want to be rejected by the only girl Santana might ever consider having serious feelings for. Even for the few hours they have known each other.

"Never ever have I wanted kiss anyone more than now." Santana whispers and when they lift their shot glasses Brittany clings it against Santana's and throws her head back as she swallows the Tequila. Again she watches Santana's face scrunch up and Brittany doesn't think she can hold back any longer.

"Kiss me, Santana." Brittany breaths out.

"What about Sam?" But Brittany doesn't care. Sam is not here and although she is no cheater, she knows that this might be the last time she sees Santana. She doesn't care about the guilt she might feel towards Sam afterwards. So she shakes her head and reaches up to cup Santana's cheeks.

The skin under her touch is hot, from Santana's blush and from the alcohol. She can almost feel every drop of blood slamming through Santana's veins. One hand moves from Santana's cheek to tangle up in soft, dark locks. And then without waiting any longer, she presser her lips against Santana's.

Even with all those people sitting around them, Brittany doesn't pay attention to any of them. To any of the surprised gasps. She doesn't hear the glass dropping to the ground from behind the bar where Dani is watching them. Not Puck catcalling them. She doesn't care one bit about anything other than Santana.

She tastes the alcohol on Santana's lips, she feels her arms tightening around her neck and the way she presses closer to Brittany, even in this weird angle. And Brittany knows that she doesn't want just that kiss. So when she breaks the kiss, gasping for air, she runs her hand through Santana's dark locks and whispers:

"Take me home, Santana."

And Santana does.

**VI.**

Santana's apartment is just one huge room in a brick building. The moment Brittany steps in she knows that this is one of the coziest apartments she has ever seen. The leather couch is huge and Brittany feels like she could just sink into it. The kitchen area has a breakfast bar and Santana's TV is bigger than any TV Brittany has ever seen and on one of the far corners by the windows Santana has a wall covered with shelves filled with hundreds of books and movies, next to a desk with a laptop on it. But what impresses Brittany the most is the spiral staircase that leads up to a huge platform that is Santana's bedroom. She can see it from where she is standing.

Santana doesn't force Brittany to do anything when they step into the apartment. She waits there, standing at the door and watches Brittany taking in everything she sees. She doesn't speak, nor does she touch Brittany although she wants to, too afraid that Brittany might have regretted coming with her. She has the car keys ready in case Brittany wants to go back.

Brittany is not the first girl she has in her apartment. God, no. Santana has had her fair share of girls in here. The couch, the kitchen counter, the eating area with the table, every single spot in her apartment has a memory of a girl. But when she sees Brittany standing there, she knows that not one of those girls had mattered as much as Brittany does. She's known that since the moment she decided to talk to Brittany back in the stadium.

And when she sees the eating area, she doesn't see Lexi moaning her name on the table. She sees the image of Brittany sitting there, having dinner with her, smiling at her from across the table over a glass of wine and delicious food. When she sees the breakfast bar, she doesn't see Sarah sitting naked on it. She sees sleepy mornings with Brittany's arms wrapped around her while she tries to wake up properly. And when she looks down to the couch, she doesn't see Lydia bent over. She sees herself lazily cuddling with Brittany while watching a sappy movie.

And when she sees Brittany, she gets that sinking feeling because tomorrow she will be gone and Santana doesn't know when or if she will get the chance to see her once again. They have two different lives on two different sides of the country. She knows there are cell phones, Skype, technology. But she also knows that there is the time difference, Brittany's life that she's not part of but desperately wants to be.

But what worries her the most is that she doesn't know if Brittany wants all of those things Santana thinks about, craves.

She watches as Brittany walks down the two steps to the living room area and swirls around to see the whole apartment and Santana thinks she might faint from the overload of emotions inside of her.

When Brittany has had enough of admiring the apartment, she turns around to look at Santana who is watching her already. Brittany thinks she might melt under the softness of Santana's gaze so she closes the distance between them and takes Santana's hands pulling her closer.

She waits until their faces are inches apart and Brittany nudges her nose against Santana's before pressing their lips together. The kiss is gentle and the more their lips move against each the more desperate Brittany gets. She slips her hands around Santana's waist and under her Lakers jersey.

The skin under her fingertips is soft and warm and Brittany's desire to explore more of it increases with every passing second.

"You have boyfriend." Santana mumbles against Brittany's lips.

"I know." Brittany breathes out but does nothing to stop anything happening between them. Santana thinks she can work with that. Breaking the kiss, she looks into Brittany's eyes, trying to find any sign that this might not be okay. But when she doesn't, she takes Brittany's hand and leads her to the staircase. And Brittany follows without one tiny doubt swirling in her Santana clouded mind.

Breathy moans fill the silence lingering in Santana's apartment as naked skin glides against each other. All of their clothes lay scattered around, shirts carelessly thrown around, hanging over the glass banister, hindering anyone to fall from the bedroom platform in Santana's apartment.

Brittany can feel Santana's heat radiating off her, the faster beating heart with every kiss they share, with ever nip at exposed skin, with every bite and every lick. Brittany doesn't remember the last time she had sex with a girl and she doesn't remember how breathtaking being with one can be.

She loves absolutely everything. The soft skin, the smell of Santana's body, Santana's plump lips grazing the skin on her neck and the plethora of bruises on her collarbone and shoulder.

Santana wants Brittany to remember that night and if she has to bruise her skin, then so be it. She will do it in the most pleasurable way. She is going to remind Brittany of every little detail, the love bites and how beautiful the purple mark looks around pale perfection. She will remind her that she isn't just a one night stand. That she will remember Brittany even after she is gone. She is going to erase Sam from Brittany's mind. It's her tonight. It's her tonight she has to love.

Every touch, every kiss erases the touch that Sam has placed upon her. By the end of this night Brittany won't remember his name anymore or her infidelity. It will be all Santana on her mind, in her blood, in her soul, in every fiber of her body, written on her skin.

She can't remember a time where being with someone was as exciting as just kissing Brittany is. But now when she looks down at Brittany and sees how the night lamp on her nightstand casts perfect shadows on all the right places of Brittany's body and she just knows that from now on nothing is ever going to compare to Brittany. She tries to remember every inch of skin she gets to touch, kiss, trail her fingertips on. Every little freckle and scar marking Brittany's body.

She is going to remember how Brittany's moans sound when she bites a particularly sensitive part of skin on her neck, when she kisses the skin under her earlobe, when she bites and licks her breast, when she scratches her fingers along her ribs. Every inch of Brittany's skin is perfection that no painter, sculptor could ever display in their pieces of art.

And Brittany writhing beneath her, begging for more of Santana's kisses and love bites, might just be the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. She just knows that Brittany isn't any of the other girls before her.

Tonight Santana is begging Brittany to love her. And she is going to beg for as long as it takes.

How does she even know that it is love? How can anyone tell after just a few hours?

She just knows because every little touch, every kiss, every word from Brittany makes Santana's body and mind go into a frenzy that has never happened to her. She just knows.

Brittany moans again when Santana tugs at her skin, she loses it completely. She kisses Brittany's lips and lets the girl beneath her run her nails across her back, scratching down her spine. Tomorrow will be their goodbye and Santana will make every second count.

**VII.**

They are so close, so tightly pressed up against each other, they might as well be one person. That is the first thought circling through Brittany's head when the sun beams peeking through Santana's curtains wake her up. Her limbs ache from all the exhaustion, her skin burns from all the bites but all of the warmth enveloping her is so worth all of the discomfort.

Her skin looks like a piece of art with all the dark purple bruises and when she brushes dark hair from her face, she lifts her head to look at Santana sleeping soundly beside her. She can't help the smile that breaks across her face.

Memories of last night invade her mind and she looks up to the night stand to see that it is already past noon. They didn't get to sleep much last night. Only when the first rays of sunshine tainted the sky into dark purple mixed with shades of orange, did they fall asleep too exhausted to fight sleep anymore.

All of this just feels too perfect to be real. But when she tightens her arms around Santana from behind, gets to inhale the scent that lingers in every comforter, every piece of clothing around this apartment, does Brittany know that this is reality. This girl pressed up to her is not from a dream. She is here, she is real and she chose Brittany. That thought alone makes Brittany's heart beat a million miles per hour.

Scratches are burnt into Santana's skin, reaching from her shoulder blades down her back. She sees the bite marks on her neck from Brittany, trying to deal with all the pleasure she received. And Brittany brushes the hair aside, to get a better look at Santana's neck. She buries her nose into it and inhales deeply. All too soon she will be gone. Every experience with Santana will be a lingering memory in the back of her mind that she will try to keep for as long as she will live.

She hears Santana take a deep breath, stretching her aching limbs before she grips Brittany's hands wrapped around her stomach to bring it up to her chest, pressing it over her wildly beating heart. Neither of them say a word. They know, they understand. Thousands of unsaid things linger between them and Santana and Brittany understand them.

And Brittany just hopes that this could last a bit longer.

How could she have known that winning two damn NBA tickets would have led her to the most amazing thing to ever happen to her? And she didn't once mean the sport event.

When it feels just like a tiny eternity, Santana turns around and looks at Brittany. Brittany can see the tear tracks on Santana's cheeks. She knows, she doesn't have to say it. She feels the same and Santana knows.

They just know and just that thought alone makes Brittany melt into a tiny puddle.

"Kiss me." Brittany breathes out and Santana closes the distance between them to press bruised lips against each other. And when brown orbs are locked again with blue ones, Brittany knows that they scream 'stay'. She reaches her hand up to comb her fingers through Santana's messy hair.

"We'll keep in touch." She whispers and Santana nods in response, running her fingers down Brittany's spine.

**VIII.**

The fight is inevitable when Brittany shows up at the hotel after being absent the whole night. Sam is there sitting on the bed, blood shot eyes from the lack of sleep. Brittany feels guilty that just an hour ago she was loving Santana in her shower, pressing her against the tile wall and breathing 'I love yous' into her ear.

And the worst part is that she is feeling guilty about not feeling guilty towards Sam. She cheated on him. She made love to someone else. She let someone else touch her the way only Sam should be allowed to. And that's where Brittany's guilt steps in.

She doesn't regret one second being with Santana. She doesn't regret crying with her in Santana's car in the hotel's parking lot. They were there for almost an hour before Brittany finally found the courage to leave Santana and step out of the car. She doesn't regret the plethora of pictures of Santana and herself on her phone from last night, naked and tangled up in each other.

How could she ever explain to him, that he is not what she wants? For a while things between them worked but only because it never seemed as serious as it should be. Brittany was waiting for the big thing. Something she didn't believe in until she met Santana. And the fact that she didn't know it, not until today.

And even though the dark purple marks on her skin, seem to burn holes into her skin that he can't see because she managed to cover them up with clothes that are not appropriate for this season while she looks at Sam. She feels guilty about using Sam as a place holder for someone who would come and lead Brittany out of that cage she had been trapped in.

She looks at Sam and she desperately tries to make Santana appear in his place.

And the next punch in the gut comes when instead of accusing and blaming her, Sam stands up, hugs her and tells her that he is sorry. That is the cherry on top of everything.

"Let's go home." Sam says when he pulls back to look at her. And Brittany can't help but think how nothing about Sam feels like home. His home doesn't feel like it should. Not like the one just mere hours ago. She is quiet, so unlike Brittany but he blames it on the fight they had. He tips the brim of her new snapback and Brittany lowers her gaze in shame.

They proceed to check out and when they arrive at JFK and Sam holds her hand she can't help but think how big it is. She can't help but compare him to Santana. He tried kissing her at one point. But she refused, saying she is coming up with the flu. In reality she just really wanted Santana to be the last one to have kissed her. Just thinking about those kisses cause her lips to start tingling.

The apartment doesn't smell like Santana when they step inside so Brittany takes her duffle bag with her dance stuff and walks the few blocks to Mike's dancing studio. They are all there when she steps in. Tina and Mike are talking with Rachel at the reception desk after having closed the dance studio for the day. She looks at them, happier to see them than any other day but she just doesn't feel like making huge declarations of happiness today. Not when she left her heart back in Los Angeles.

Of course they are all excited about her return. The minutes she stands next to them, they start bombarding her with thousands of questions. And Brittany can't say anything about the game, she doesn't remember anything of it.

The only thing she remembers is Santana. The way she shouted when she became agitated, the crinkle in her eyebrow when she was not pleased, but not displeased enough to start shouting. The impatient tapping of her finger against her leg. Their shoulders brushing.

Santana. That's the only thing on her mind right now. And all those things they experienced in twenty-four hours. She hasn't made so many memories with people in one month.

So when the others decide to join her today, she feels like crying. The dancing room seems for the first time suffocating. The walls feel like they're closing in on her. And with every look in her mirror, the feeling of wanting to jump onto the next plane to Los Angeles increases.

She drops her bag in one corner and pulls out her dancing clothes. She honestly forgets, carelessness, thinking too much about Santana. She doesn't really know what exactly made her forget but she hears the loud gasp from Rachel after she slips off her shirt, she knows that after leaving Santana this day just had to become worse.

Brittany looks at her reflection in the mirror and sees how much worse it looks than it really is. Dark purple is all over her collar bones, shoulders and neck, even her stomach and the visible parts of her breasts. Everything about her body screams 'I had the best night of my life' and Brittany just can't fight it when she drops to her knees and starts crying in guilt.

She confesses everything and all of them seem surprised. Just Rachel oversees the cheating detail and concentrates on the whole love scenario with Santana. This is the first time Rachel doesn't hold a whole speech, she doesn't say something egoistic. For the first time she just holds Brittany and tells her that she is happy for her because she has finally found her soul mate.

But one thing all of them have in common is that they all tell her that she has to break up with Sam.

**IX**.

One month later she still hasn't broken up with him. At least not yet.

Sam loses his job and is lost in his own misery. He worries so much about everything that Brittany can't give him, another punch to the gut. Losing his job and his girlfriend is just something he wouldn't be able to take at the same time.

Brittany gets lost in her own little bubble of sadness, too caught up in missing Santana. The bruises have faded, the only evidence of their night together, along with the pictures that Brittany looks at every free second of the day.

They text and call each other every day. They have become pros at tip toeing around the Sam topic. Santana tells her about her promotion in the music label she works at. She tells her that Puck's hair is starting to grow back, this time not letting it to grow into a Mohawk. She tells Brittany that she still has the fifty bucks Quinn gave her because she wants to take Brittany to dinner with them, since she was the reason why she won the bet. She tells Brittany that she loves her and misses her.

And then Santana tells Brittany something that she hoped would never happen.

"Dani asked me on a date today." She says. The silence that follows is excruciating. The statement lingers between them and Brittany doesn't know how to react. She knows that she has no right to forbid Santana to go on that date. They're not together and Brittany is still dating Sam. Unhappily, but a relationship is a relationship.

"Oh." Is the only thing Brittany can say and when Santana tells her that she considers going, Brittany feels like someone just took a baseball bat and hit her with it. And she can actually understand why Santana considers it. She wouldn't have the feeling of talking to a ghost. Brittany might be there mentally and on the phone. But Dani is there physically.

She cries silently on the other end of the line, hoping that Santana won't go but she knows that it could either be wistful thinking or it could be reality. She says a silent okay that Santana mimics and after a minute of silence- yes, Brittany counted- they hang up and Brittany slides down against the door, breaking out in loud sobs.

It is then that she decides that she is done with trying to not make Sam unhappy, while she is a thousand shattered pieces walking around, barely holding it together. This is just unfair. Why does she have to be unhappy, just so that Sam can be happy?

So for the second time in her life she is going to be selfish.

That day she waits for Sam to come home after breakfast with his friends. It's the first time that she sees him smiling and the guilt on her doubles. He leans down to kiss her but she turns her head and his lips land on her cheek. This is also the day that he gets angry.

"Why won't you kiss me anymore, Brittany?" He asks, trying not to sound too annoyed with his girlfriend. "We haven't had sex in weeks." He slumps back onto their bed and looks at her. She needs to tell him.

"I cheated on you." Brittany confesses and she sees how shocked Sam looks. She has never seen him as astounded as he is now. He looks like someone told him that his puppy died. He doesn't say anything. Just his face seems paler than usual and Brittany can clearly see how deeply hurt he is.

She doesn't tell him the cliché explanation. She doesn't tell him that it didn't mean anything. That would be a lie. Because it meant everything to her. She doesn't tell him how sorry she is, because she isn't. She is sorry about how things turned out. She is sorry that they lost their way, drifting away from each other. But not that it happened.

But the things she is most sorry about is the fact that she had to hurt him, so that she could be happy.

"I'm not going to beg you for forgiveness because I know the thing I did is unforgivable. I know that I hurt you but you and I have to be honest that we are not happy in this relationship. I am not what you are looking for and you are not what I want. I don't want to pretend anymore and I'm done with being unhappy so that you can be happy. I'm sorry it had to come that way but you have to know that I do love you. I'm just not in love with you anymore."

Sam doesn't say anything while she explains. He doesn't say anything when he sees her pulling out the bag with all of her clothes in it. He just keeps sitting there, staring blankly at her, still not believing what she said. And maybe that's why this would have never worked out. He has always underestimated her abilities. Not that infidelity is something she should be proud of.

And only when Brittany looks at him one last time before making her way towards their door, does he start talking.

"I want to know one thing." His voice sounds weak and Brittany hates that she is the one who caused that. Brittany nods for him to continue. "Was it that girl from LA?" Brittany looks down to her shoes, scuffing it against the floor of their once shared apartment. She knows that it's answer enough but he still wants her to say it.

"Yes."

"Did it mean something to you?" He sounds like he doesn't really want to hear it but he asks anyway.

"It meant everything." Brittany replies and her voice sounds so sure that it sends shivers down Sam's spine.

**X.**

She's on the first flight back to Los Angeles after leaving Sam behind. She told Mike, Tina and Rachel but other than that no one knows. She feels the same excitement rushing through her when she first travelled to LA, only this time there are butterflies thrown into the mix.

She fiddles with her hands on the whole flight, thinking of Santana and Dani. She hopes that Santana hasn't accepted Dani's invitation to a date. Because if she has, Brittany will be on the first flight back to New York, trying to forget anything regarding that city and a certain girl living there.

She hopes that everything will go well. They haven't talked about anything yet regarding their relationship, if that's even what they can call it. The only thing Brittany knows is that she is in love with her and that giving up her life in New York is a huge risk she is taking just to be with a girl she hasn't known very long.

But the high risk is exactly what makes it so worth it.

So when she finally steps onto LA ground, she feels all the weight slipping from her shoulders. There's no Sam she has to think about. No guilt holding her back. Just her love for Santana and the hope that keeps the buzzing in her body alive.

She tries to be patient while waiting for her luggage. But every minute delay, is one minute more where she is being kept from seeing Santana. When she spots her luggage, she tries heaving it out of the airport as fast as possible. The setting sun warms her skin and she looks up at the sky, overcome with happiness.

Of course the Lakers snapback is resting on her head. It has been there almost every day since Santana gave it to her, so it was no question that she would wear it today as well.

The cab driver tries talking to her but all Brittany can focus on is the fact that in a few minutes she will be back in Santana's arms reunited with her, for what she hopes, will be a really, really long time.

She tells him to keep the change when she throws some bills towards him, not really caring if he gave him a bit too much. And when she gets out the taxi and sees the Sessions in front of her, she can't help but smile at the familiarity of it.

She takes her phone out of her pocket, ignoring all the messages that pop up when she turns it on and calls the most called number on her phone.

"Britt." Santana greets when she accepts the call. "How are you?" It's not like she could be any different than from the last few hours they have talked. But Brittany finds it endearing that Santana still insists on asking that every time they call each other. Brittany can hear the music from Sessions playing outside and when she talks to Santana on the phone she can hear it as the background noise. She is lucky. Santana is after all with the group at their usual bar.

"What did you say to Dani about the date?" Brittany rushes out, ignoring every question she has received. She wants to know. Santana's answer is going to be crucial for their future. There is a pause where Brittany can practically hear Santana thinking. But when she answers it is the most beautiful thing Brittany has ever heard, besides Santana saying 'I love you'.

"I said no. I couldn't. Not with you swirling in the back of my mind." And with that Brittany hangs up. She pushes the doors to the bar open and she can see the booth where they had been sitting in on her first night in Los Angeles. She can see the back of Santana's head. She would recognize those locks everywhere. Even if she was blind she would know every time Santana would be in the same room with her. She just knows.

Santana looks down at her phone confused, frowning. Brittany sneaks behind her and stands there, looking at Santana. The rest of the group has already spotted her but they don't say anything, they just smile widely.

"Go on a date with me." She says and she can see Santana's shoulders stiffen before she slowly turns around too afraid that everything is an illusion. She knocks the chair back when she stands up. Brittany wants to say something, anything but Santana has already thrown her arms around her.

"You're really here." Santana breathes out as though she doesn't believe it. For so many weeks they had been wishing for each other to be there that when it actually came true she couldn't believe it. Brittany smiles down at her and that's all it takes before Santana cups her cheeks and presses their lips together.

That's it, Brittany thinks. She is finally home. She wraps her arms around Santana's waist lifting her off the ground while they kiss. And when they break apart, gasping for oxygen, Brittany looks deep into Santana's eyes.

"Take me home, Santana."

And Santana does.


End file.
